So many pumps to choose from! How do I know which to choose? My advice is to take your time and do your research! Below is my list for the best breast pumps that I’ve personally tried out, including electric, manual, and silicone breast milk collectors.
Now, before I get started with my recommendations, it’s important for you to take the first step in making sure that your insurance will cover your breast pump. Most insurance companies are now required to cover the cost of your breast pump, however, not all breast pump options will be covered.
Companies like Aeroflow & Edgepark are specialized medical product providers who work with your insurance company to get the breast pump covered.
Check Aeroflow Now to See If you Qualify For A Free Breast Pump Through Insurance!
Check Edgepark Now To See If You Qualify For A Free Breast Pump Through Insurance!
Note: *I’ve ranked each pump on a star scale of 1-5.
9. Ameda Finesse
The Ameda Finesse is not my favorite pump, however, it is fairly easy to use. If you’re a first time mom, it’s pretty straightforward compared to some of the other pumps that have all kinds of options.
The thing I liked the most about the Ameda Finesse is that it has dials that control the speed and suction, independently. This makes it easy to find the right setting, though because it’s a dial, you can’t save your settings. This is fine if you don’t always use the same settings, so depending on your needs, it’s not a deal breaker.
I also really like that it converts into a manual pump, however, it is not the easiest manual pump to use.
3/4 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Ameda Finesse pump here.
8. Nature Bond Silicone Breast Pump
The concept of breast milk collectors is a fabulous one, and there are many on the market! Probably the most well known is the original collector, the Haakaa. I don’t have first hand experience with the original, but I do have experience with 2 others. Nature Bond and Lansinoh (#3 on the list, below).
The Nature Bond Silicone Breast Pump is great for collecting your letdown when your baby is nursing on the opposite breast. The only thing I didn’t love about this particular one is that the suction didn’t always maintain itself so sometimes it would fall off mid nursing. This wasn’t a huge problem though because I always kept my hand nearby anyway, however, if you miss it and it falls, then you lose whatever milk you collected.
For overproducers this is great for catching extra breastmilk.
3.5/4 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Nature Bond Silicone Breast Pump here.
7. Medela Pump in Style
Ah, the Medela Pump in Style! This is a super popular pump, and possibly the most well known. If you’ve ever watched “New Girl”, during Season 7, Episode 2, Cece is in a business meeting and she’s pumping while conducting the meeting. She is using the Medela Pump in Style.
You can check it out here.
You can hear in the video that the pump is somewhat loud, but it’s not unbearable. The big issue I had with this pump is that, like the Ameda Finesse, it has a dial control, which is great for first time moms who have never used a breast pump before, but is tough because you can’t save your settings once you find what works for you
4/4 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Medela Pump in Style Breast Pump here.
6. Medela Lactina
The Medela Lactina is my first manual breast pump on this list. The cool thing about the Lactina is that it can function as both an electric AND a manual pump. I didn’t have the electric portion of the pump, just the manual part, and I was surprised by how much I liked it!
Using it as a manual pump is a little tricky because you need to use both hands rather than getting away with using one hand, but whether or not that’s a deal breaker for you, is 100% personal preference. I highly recommend getting a hands free pumping bra for this one.
4.5/5 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Medela Lactina Breast Pump here.
5. Medela Symphony
The Medela Symphony is a great hospital grade breast pump. The only real downside to this pump is that you can only get it as a rental through insurance, you can’t purchase it.
That being said, this pump is great. This was the very first breast pump I used, and I really liked it. Now, at first, I hated it, but I would have hated any breast pump. The problem for me was that I couldn’t set it to my own settings, which needed to be very low, as it came with presets which were very high. So, I would have to turn it on and then quickly set it to my lower settings before even putting my flanges on! That was big draw back for me. However, once I learned my appropriate settings and how to actually use the pump, it was great and I was very comfortable using it.
4.5/5 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Medela Symphony Breast Pump here.
4. Lansinoh Manual Pump
I was gifted this manual pump a few months into my breastfeeding and pumping journey and for a while, I just had no idea why i would ever want to use a manual pump, so I did nothing with it. Once I learned that triple feeding was a thing (breastfeeding, pumping, and bottle feeding), I realized that I could pump with the manual pump after my kids were done nursing, to get out the last few drops. It actually made a huge difference for me, as I was an under supplier from the get go and I just did not have the time or the energy after nursing the kids to attach myself to the electric pump.
The Lansinoh pump is super easy to assemble, and super duper easy to use. The only negative for me is the Lansinoh flanges, but I’ll talk ALLLL about flanges in another post!
4.5/5 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump here.
3. Lansinoh Breastmilk Collector
Similar to the Nature Bond Silicone Breast Pump that I listed up at number 8, the Lansinoh Breastmilk Collector does the same thing. I liked this one better though because the suction held up better, but wasn’t so strong that it hurt. I also seemed to always collect more milk than the Nature Bond one.
The other really cool thing about this one is that it comes with a neck strap, so you can put it around your neck and not worry about losing all the milk your collecting, if the suction loosens, because it won’t fall on the floor. It also comes with a lid, rather than a stopper. I’m undecided about which I prefer. The stopper that came with the Nature Bond Silicone Breast Pump always kept milk from spilling, and is super easy to just place right into the opening at the top. The lid that comes with the Lansinoh Breastmilk Collector is just fine, but isn’t as easy to put on.
4.75/5 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Lansinoh Breast Milk Collector here.
2. Lansinoh Smart Pump
Personally, I think the Lansinoh Smart Pump is awesome and an excellent pump for first time breastfeeding moms. I think this pump is great whether you are exclusively pumping, pumping and nursing, or just occasionally pumping. It’s easy to use, not terribly loud, and has a wide range of settings. The other huge plus with this pump is that it is very small and easy to travel with! That’s a huge bonus for working moms!
The only drawback for this one is that you can’t save your settings. So, if you have a particular setting that you are most comfortable with, you still have to adjust it back to those settings when you turn it on. Other than that, it’s an excellent pump.
The other great thing is that unlike the other electric pumps on this list, it is not a dial! It has a digital screen and buttons for your settings. So, even though it doesn’t save your settings, it’s still awesome and just an all around great breast pump. I would definitely rate this among the best breast pumps out there.
5/5 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Lansinoh SmartPump here.
1. Spectra S1 or S2
The Spectra S1 and S2 are the exact same pump, except for 2 differences. 1. S1 is teal and white S2 is pink and white. 2. S1 has a built in rechargeable battery, S2 doesn’t have any battery capability. So, essentially, the S1 is a little more portable than the S2. Other than that, they’re the same.
This is an excellent pump and in my opinion, is far superior to all other pumps. It is much quieter, much more comfortable, and gives you lots and lots of settings. For me, the only drawback to the Spectra S1 and S2 is that they are fairly large, so taking it anywhere is a bit of a feat. This is where the Lansinoh Smartpump is superior. Like the Lansinoh Smartpump, I would consider the Spectra S1 & S2 to be among the best breast pumps out there.
5/5 stars
You can purchase or learn more about your Spectra S1 or S2 here.
So there you have it! My list of the best breast pumps around. This is by no means an all-inclusive list, as many many other people will have differing opinions, but this is from my direct experience with each and every single one of these pumps.
Full disclosure: I was a low supplier from day 1. I was unable to produce enough milk for both of my babies, so I tried as many different options as I possibly could to increase my milk supply. I tried all of these pumps, plus a ton of other adapters, accessories, supplements, feeding schedule changes, etc. (blog post coming soon!) and while I was eventually able to produce more milk, it was never enough for both babies, and probably wouldn’t have been enough for just one of them.
Your experience will be your own, so this is just a guide for you based on what I, personally, think are the best breast pumps out there.
Finding the best breast pump for your needs can be hard, so take your time and do your research! Ask friends, family, or even in a facebook group. Other people’s experiences will not necessarily be yours, but it is extremely helpful to hear what other people have to say, before making your own decisions.
